Exemplified by a 160-foot bank pass, Torey Krug’s confidence isn’t wavering any time soon taken at Warrior Ice Arena (Bruins)

Adam Richins Photography

Bruins

Exemplified by a 160-foot bank pass, Torey Krug’s confidence isn’t wavering any time soon

By Conor Ryan

Jan 4, 2019 • 3:05 pm

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Torey Krug had plenty to be irked with midway through Thursday night’s tilt against the Flames at TD Garden.

The blueliner on the ice for another shorthanded goal against — Boston’s league-leading ninth goal relinquished on the man advantage — a byproduct of the usual fumbles in the offensive zone and passive play by B’s skaters hovering around Jaroslav Halak down the other end of the sheet.

“It get frustrating, you’re collecting minuses all the time,” Krug said postgame. “That’s part of the risk that we have with four forwards and a defenseman. Obviously, I’m a guy that likes to play the half-wall as well sometimes so we’re going to give up some stuff. That’s one that’s frustrating because we felt like we had numbers back and they get the puck in the crease and end up scoring a goal.”

At this point, Krug’s strengths and shortcomings have been well-documented. A maestro when given time and space in the offensive zone, Krug’s prowess with the puck on his stick and his aggressiveness has left him vulnerable at times to opposing counter rushes and stronger forwards in Boston’s zone.

The book has been out on the puck-moving defenseman for years now, but that doesn’t seem to be putting a dent into the production that he generates, year in and year out.

Despite missing 11 games due to injury this season, Krug is still on pace to become the sixth Bruins defenseman (and first since Ray Bourque in 1995-96) to notch 60-plus points in a single campaign.

Wielding a rocket of a shot from the blue line and great awareness when searching for seams on the a power play or on a rush down the ice, Krug has been Boston’s prototypical QB from the blue line for most of his six full seasons in Boston — averaging 46.6 points (and 20.2 points on the power play) per year since the 2013-14 campaign.

But if you ask Krug’s teammates, his greatest strength doesn’t lie in the tangible tools one sees during his shifts on a man advantage. Rather, it’s the ability to shake off a miscue and reward his team just minutes later with a highlight-reel move.

Look no further than the opening minute of the third period on Thursday, with Boston back on the power play and looking to build off of a slim 3-2 lead.



Recovering the puck behind the Bruins net, Krug might have been the last skater out of Boston’s zone on a rush down the ice, but his feed certainly wasn’t. Timing a slap shot from the high slot just as David Pastrnak was about to break into Calgary’s zone, Krug’s rocket sailed to the left of Flames goalie Mike Smith, with the puck ricocheting off of the end boards.

The sharp deflection off the bank pass sailed right to the streaking Pastrnak, who deposited the biscuit past Smith with a nifty backhand attempt for the winger’s 25th goal of the season.




The skill, timing and awareness involved on the sequence were all top-notch, but it’s a play that surprised few watching from Boston’s bench.


“It’s just his confidence with the puck,” Matt Grzelcyk said of Krug’s greatest strength. “The confidence in his ability to make that kind of play. In any certain game, you can’t always have your best effort all the time. But the one thing about Torey is when things sometimes aren’t going so well, he’s still able to pull off things like that.


“I think a lot of that has to do with playing for a couple years and having confidence in yourself. As teammates, I know we all have the confidence in him that can go out there and make those plays. That’s why he’s the player that he is.”


Krug’s 160-foot helper was more than just a fantastic heads-up play by the blueliner.
Bruce Cassidy
noted the team discovered in its pre-scout that the Flames often tend to stack the blue line on the penalty kill, often limiting or halting the opposition’s chances of easy entries. Rather than chip one past the Flames wall of bodies in front, however, Krug generated his look down the ice in a much more expedited fashion.


“That’s something we’ve tried a couple times,” Grzelcyk said. “It’s not always going to connect, but I think, at least it backs off the D and their forwards in the neutral zone. Watching video before the game, the way they play, their first forward is basically right at the red line, if not more towards their own end. It’s kind of tough to get through there and pick your way through. So that was something that was prescouted. A lot of skill goes into that to execute the play.”


Given the variation when it comes to the liveliness of boards, would that be a play that Krug would only being willing to pull off in the friendly confines of TD Garden?


Krug, confident as ever, was blunt.


“Probably try it everywhere to be honest.”


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